Chapter 36: The Immortal Eight Sufferings, A Different Sword Heart
Ouija Board?
Kondo Yuya frowned: “Junior Officer Nanjo, I haven’t heard anything about it.”
“Because this is a Half-Star Rank incident.” Nanjo Emi crossed her arms and yawned, “The only demon in the entire incident was a Half-Star Grudge Kitsune-dog, and by the time we arrived, it had already been exorcised.”
She pointed at Shangshan Che: “That Ouija Board, even this Shangshan Jun said it felt off and suggested we bring it back.”
Kondo Yuya was at a loss for words; he rarely inquired about incidents below Two-Star Rank, let alone a mere Half-Star Rank Supernatural Phenomenon incident.
“—Maybe this Ouija Board is extremely important to Ai Bieli, and she doesn’t know we have it now, so she approached the two survivors of that incident.”
Nanjo Emi: “This explanation makes sense, right?”
No objections.
Because no other explanation could account for Ai Bieli’s bizarre behavior.
“So after all this time.” Lili Zi tapped the table with her finger and asked, “Has anyone told us what Ai Bieli really is? A demon? A Supernatural Phenomenon? Or something else?”
Kondo Yuya was about to speak and refuse on the grounds that knowing less is safer when Nanjo Emi already interjected: “Have you heard of the Eight Sufferings?”
“—Birth, aging, sickness, death, Ai Bieli, hatred and resentment, Not Getting What One Wants, Five Yin Overwhelming.”
He slammed the table and stood up: “Junior Officer Nanjo!”
Nanjo Emi remained expressionless, confronting her direct superior: “If not now, are we supposed to tell them at their graves!?”
“They’ve already had zero Distance contact with Ai Bieli, Great Officer Kondo.” Nanjo Emi said word by word, “You have no right to deprive participants of their right to know.”
Kondo Yuya turned red with anger: “You—!”
But he couldn’t refute Nanjo Emi’s words, because it was one of the Special Affairs Office’s fundamental regulations.
—【Contacts may know】.
Watching this, Lili Zi remained silent; she recalled herself asking Sister Nanjo about the Friendship Club back then.
But at this moment, Nanjo Emi’s approach was completely opposite to that night.
So even Lili Zi had to admit—Nanjo Emi was truly responsible, both to herself and to others.
Nanjo Emi stared at her superior, her tone merciless: “Don’t treat them like ignorant little kids, and don’t think you can protect everyone alone.”
“—Great Officer Kondo, has too much Power given you too much arrogance?”
Kondo Yuya clenched his rough fists, speechless.
He slowly sat down and admitted his mistake: “I’m very sorry.”
Nanjo Emi continued explaining to Shangshan Che and the others: “The so-called Eight Sufferings, though a Buddhist concept, the Negative Emotions of people in the Mortal Realm—or present world—objectively exist and accumulate.”
“And when these Negative Emotions accumulate to a certain extent, under the trigger of some catalyst, a large portion detaches and forms one of the Eight Sufferings.”
At this point, Nanjo Emi sighed: “This is also why the Eight Sufferings can never be truly killed.”
Tired of listening, Shangshan Che guessed: “Because even if you kill it, at some point in the Future, under some catalyst, a new Eight Sufferings will be born again.”
“Yes.”
Nanjo Emi nodded.
Shangshan Che didn’t even know what to say; the name alone sounded like a super big boss—how had he encountered it before even leaving his newbie village?
Kondo Yuya closed his eyes and said: “This generation’s Ai Bieli doesn’t seem newly born. Can you two tell us how you survived her?”
Shangshan Che glanced at Nanjo Emi, who was smacking her lips on the side and occasionally reaching into her pocket to touch her cigarette case for satisfaction.
If Sister Nanjo weren’t standing here right now, he was sure Kondo Yuya wouldn’t be asking in such a polite tone.
So regarding the wording on this matter, Shangshan Che had already prepared it on the way.
“Because I was carrying the Treasure Sword passed down in my family.”
He placed Kaga Kiyomitsu, which had been leaning against the Chair Leg, on the table and slowly drew it out flat.
Kondo Yuya’s Pupils contracted, and he blurted out: “Kaga Kiyomitsu?!”
Hearing the name of this historically renowned Daito, Nanjo Emi couldn’t help but look over: “The one Okita Soji used? But I heard it was broken?”
Shangshan Che replied smoothly: “So it’s a replica, but even so, it can still inflict considerable damage on demons. I’ve been carrying it with me lately.”
His explanation was very reasonable, successfully diverting Kondo Yuya’s attention to this Daito; he touched and examined it, praising it repeatedly as a fine blade.
However, Kaga Kiyomitsu remained motionless, seemingly unimpressed by Kondo Yuya.
After returning Kaga Kiyomitsu to Shangshan Che, Kondo Yuya reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
A Swordsman is like a sea king; even with a beloved sword already, no Swordsman would disdain having too many good blades in hand.
Thus, the pressure now fell on Lili Zi.
Shangshan Che also looked over.
He was actually quite curious how Lili Zi had taken down Ai Bieli’s Clone unscathed—from the Soul Ash that erupted from the Clone, it was nearly at One-Star demon level.
And even though Lili Zi’s Sword Technique level and Realm far surpassed his, her physical qualities were still within the Normal human range.
Lili Zi: “It wasn’t me who killed that Clone; she realized she couldn’t affect me and dispersed on her own.”
“Impossible.” Kondo Yuya interrupted, “Even if Ai Bieli only used a Clone, it would be enough to control dozens or even hundreds of Normal people simultaneously. Only achieving the rare Clear Sword Heart can exempt one from control.”
“So I’m not Normal.”
Lili Zi raised her abyss-calm Pupils and met Kondo Yuya’s gaze: “Clear Sword Heart? Me too.”
The conference room instantly fell silent.
Shangshan Che held back laughter, thinking Lili Zi’s flex was both high-level and satisfying—you think Clear Sword Heart is hard? Sorry, me too.
Kondo Yuya didn’t need to discern if Lili Zi’s words were true or false.
Because in that instant of eye contact, he had already glimpsed the girl’s Sword Heart, which was constantly self-tempering and slowly expanding.
It was simply like a vibrant newborn star!
Unlike his own “microscopic” insight into all things in the world, this… Miss Tokugawa Ririko’s Sword Heart cultivation seemed more self-oriented and purer.
“Get stronger.”
That was it.
Such purity drove her Spirit and consciousness to be purer and vaster every moment than the last.
But if left uncontrolled to expand—
Then, the overly powerful Spirit would not only destroy her but also annihilate everyone around her drawn to that dazzling brilliance.
Somewhat worried, Kondo Yuya shifted his gaze from Lili Zi’s Pupils; upon seeing the girl’s youthful face, he paused.
He suddenly realized Tokugawa Ririko seemed to be just a high school student?
“If I may be so bold, Miss Tokugawa, how old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Who is your Master?”
“If I had to say, my school’s Kendo club Instructor Kondo Hideya could be considered one.”
Hearing his brother’s name in an unexpected context, Kondo Yuya’s thoughts stalled.
He remembered his brother had become a PE teacher due to lack of Talent in the Supernatural path and was still at Unity of Man and Sword to this day…
—In other words, Tokugawa Ririko had blasted through this heavenly barrier that had stifled countless people entirely on her own, without any exposure to Supernatural Technique?!
And at just eighteen.
Realizing this, Kondo Yuya swallowed hard with difficulty, his voice unconsciously softening,
“Miss Tokugawa, would you join the Special Affairs Office? I can be half your Master.”
Hearing this, Tokugawa Ririko frowned.
